


Nelson and Murdock: Improvisation at Law

by guineamania



Series: Birdbrain [12]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Hurt Harry Potter, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Magical Nonsense, Wider marvel crossovers, lawyering, my fic my rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 09:03:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20543588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guineamania/pseuds/guineamania
Summary: A month since the affairs at the Washington Monument and Clint had not been given any update on Harry. A confrontation with Tony brings the amazing skills of Nelson and Murdock into his life and Clint starts to form his own team of warriors (comprising of two lawyers, one who was a blind vigilante, and his husband's adoptive parents)





	Nelson and Murdock: Improvisation at Law

**Author's Note:**

> So this happened - it was going to be so much longer but I found a good place to split it and thought you guys would want the vague resolution to that cliffhanger soon!
> 
> I do have two questions and would appreciate people's comments on it:  
1 - in big plot segments would you guys rather a longer wait for the whole segment or chapter installs of 2k ish but waits between the installs  
2 - what would you like to see now? The civil war drama, the legal nonsense in freeing Harry, little fluff ideas that I have in my head from before it all went to hell, or any other ideas you guys may have?

** _One month since Harry’s arrest_ **

“I have a right to see my husband!” Clint snarled at Tony, the man in the suit being the only one who could stop Clint barrelling into whatever hellhole they were hiding Harry in. The world was descending into chaos around them. Cap and Bucky had offered to break Clint out of prison when they took Nat, Scott, Wanda, Pietro and Sam but he had different ideas. Out of all of them he was the only one that these new accords had nothing on; he was purely human with no added powers or affinity with superhuman tech. He was just a soldier and there was no way the registration act would work if they registered all soldiers in the world. And so he fumed internally and bowed his head when they let him go but with an ankle monitor, when they took his passport and tapped his phones, when they hunted his husband and friends all across the globe. He lied and told them he resented the newly formed Secret Avengers and thought Harry was making a mistake not signing. He did all this to be able to help them. He was behind the scenes feeding information to Hermione and the wizarding lawyers who were helping Harry fight the accords and protect all those who needed it. Now Tony had crossed a line, trapping and hurting Harry before imprisoning him.

“Your husband is a criminal Clint. Those with powers who will not sign the accords are subject to detention in a facility where they are no threat to the public. It is the law now and Harry was flaunting his power in front of the government. How long did you think it was going to last?” Tony argued with no sympathy to the couple who used to be his friend.

“What are you doing to him? Why can’t I see him? Why won’t you let his lawyers in?” Clint’s snarls raised in volume gaining the attention of everyone in the reception area of the tower.

“Clint, you worked for SHIELD long enough to know that they have the right to detain anyone who is believed to be a powered risk to the safety of the nation,” Tony’s voice rang through the suit giving it an apathetic twinge.

“Excuse me, may I intercede, if you truly do have nothing to hide in the treatment of Mr Barton then why is it such an affront to offer him visitors to confirm this fact. Every citizen of the states has the right to appropriate treatment and to visitation. If you are denying Mr Barton visitation even from his lawyer then I might have to file a suit to see what other of rights of his you are forgetful of Mr Stark,” a new voice joined the discussion, punctuated my the tapping of a cane in their direction.

“And who might you be?” Tony asked, Clint was thinking the same thing but was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Matthew Murdock from Nelson and Murdock, I’m Mr Barton’s lawyer,” the lawyer was lanky with smoothly coiffed brown hair and glasses with dark red lenses. He leant effortlessly on his cane with a practiced ease that came from the aid being an extension of his body.

“Lawyer,” Tony repeated, looking between the godsend of a lawyer and Clint. Harry’s actual lawyer was an old friend from Hogwarts who wasn’t daring to go in person to Harry out of fear of his own imprisonment.

“Are you being ableist Mr Stark? I’m sure a man of your stature and public standing wouldn’t doubt the accreditation of a lawyer based on a disability,” Matt raised his voice drawing the attention of everyone in the foyer. Clint looked down to hide the smile at seeing Tony drop the mask and the anger on his face.

“Of course not, I just expected Harry’s lawyer to be someone a little more magical,” Tony replied, glaring at Clint who was happy to take responsibility for this in Tony’s eyes.

“So, am I allowed to visit my client Mr Stark?” Matt asked and Tony was forced to concede.

Clint took Matt out for lunch. It was the least he could do when the man had walked into his life, secured some proof of life for his husband, and embarrassed Tony as a little icing on the cake. When the lawyer had asked for takeaway and to go somewhere more private, that did peak Clint’s curiosity, but he complied and Clint drove them back to the Barton city residence. The Barton city residence was a special place in the way that nobody could see the last house on the row unless they were in on the secret or was led in through the door by someone who could see it. There were only six people in the world who did know the location of the Barton city residence: Clint, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Wanda, and Pietro. It also had a special little trick to tell the people monitoring Clint’s tracker that he was walking around Manhattan. In the same way Tony had developed some new tricks working with Harry; the wizard and his clever colleagues had done the same. “I trust the secrecy you are letting me in on and trusting me with works both ways?” Matt questioned as soon as the door was closed.

“Of course, I owe you for getting someone in to see Harry,” Clint helped Matt to the settee and dished out the food.

“I have a mixed interest in protecting people who are unjustly effected by the accords. I was blinded by a chemical spill in my childhood and since then all my other senses are enhanced,” Matt explained and Clint worked it out. This lawyer was hiding his skills because if he was exposed then he would also be subject to the accords and singled out. “I was trained how to use my hearing to see in a way and how to fight. I live in Hells Kitchen and used to fight crime on a night.”

“Daredevil,” Clint replied breathily in shock. This blind lawyer was the devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Definitely not one in favour of the accords then.

“Your secret is safe with me Matt, and I would gladly accept your help in helping Harry. He was the lead in openly fighting against the accords. All the other Avengers chose to hide but he wouldn’t,” Clint ran a hand through his hair as Matt ate. “I’m scared about what they have the power to do to him. Tony worked out how to imprison him and stop him using magic, what else can he do?” Matt was the first person Clint had been able to truly talk about his fears with. Hermione and Ron scoffed at the idea of technology that could stop a wizard but Peter had sounded so scared when he told of what Tony had managed to do.

“They’ll have time to try and hide what they are doing but if they think I cannot see and don’t know of my abilities hopefully I can get the one over on them. My colleague Foggy Nelson will also be coming. Don’t worry he knows my secret and I will not reveal anymore of yours to him,” Matt outlined, and Clint had to trust the vigilante lawyer. He needed to know Harry was okay.

Foggy was not impressed when he heard what Matt had done. Matt had consequently argued that, on the list of stupid things he had done, this was nowhere near the most outrageous thing he had tried. Defending the most wanted man in the country was a signature Nelson and Murdock move. “I’ll do most of the talking, you just work on getting all the information you can out of them,” Foggy sighed as they stood outside of Stark Tower.

“Of course,” Matt replied, waiting for Foggy to open the door and tapping his cane for the step he knew to be there.

“Mr Murdock, and Mr Nelson,” a grumpy voice gained their attention and shook both their hands. “My name is Happy Hogan and I’ll be flying you to your meeting today,” Happy did not seem happy about being their driver. First thing they found out: as expected Harry was not being held anywhere near the tower, and it was not somewhere to drive to. The quinjet was a new experience for Matt’s heightened senses, and he rubbed his hands on the cool course fabric of his trousers to distract from the trembling of the metal under his feet and the battering of whirs and clicks the engines made as the parts moved. The next aim was to work out where Harry was kept and this mode of transport was not helping.

“Mr Murdock, good to see you. Welcome to the Raft,” well Tony made that easy for them. The Raft was where Clint had told them the rogue Avengers had been held. Captain America had busted them out but security had been massively enhanced since then.

“I’m Mr Nelson, of Nelson and Murdock. It is good to meet you Mr Stark but he are hear for an unfortunate task,” Foggy chimed in, letting Matt adjust to being on a floating prison and get a feeling for their surroundings.

“Yes, we’ll take you through to Harry. I do have to say that speaking with your client may prove difficult. He was very resistant to the magic dampening at first and it has taken a lot of his energy and power from him,” Matt had to fight to stop himself clobbering the billionaire in the back of the head in response.

“We’ll judge your treatment of Mr Barton for ourselves and despite his condition we do need to speak with him to discuss his representation for unlawful imprisonment. See the accords have not yet been ratified taking into account Mr Barton’s new position as a diplomatic representative from the United Kingdom,” Foggy stated as they all walked together, the tapping of Matt’s cane helping him echolocate the security in the prison. The diplomatic immunity angle was a new attempt from Harry’s friends at the top of the Ministry of Magic and was at least giving Nelson and Murdock something to work with.

“Yes, I’m sure this will all be resolved soon,” Tony replied.

Foggy did not care for how Matt had got them into this situation but upon seeing Harry Barton, he knew they needed to do something. He had seen photos of the man they were representing but this man looked nothing like him. It had only been a month since Harry had been arrested at the Washington Monument but it looked as if he was wasting away. The cell was round with a hospital cot in one side and a toilet and sink in the other. The window was a forcefield that vibrated with a powerful electricity that made Foggy want to go nowhere near it, but he needed to approach to see Harry clearly. The wizard was laid curled up on his side shaking with his cuffed hands resting limply on the hard mattress in front of him. Sweat dripped down his brow and his hair was matted in black clumps. “This is what you call humane treatment,” Foggy whispered breathily as he took in Harry’s appearance. Bruises marred his exposed arms and his green eyes were open but lifeless. A doctor or scientist, maybe both, approached the cell and Tony avoided the statement. “What has been done to him?” Matt hissed, his grip had tightened on his cane.

“Mr Barton has the unique ability to teleport and so detaining him in a safe manner was,” the scientist paused, “difficult. The forcefield used out in the field was not sustainable to maintain at the strength needed to contain a magic user with the strength of Mr Potter even with his wand secured. Hence the cuffs, they have been designed to cut off access to his magical core to stop him casting spells,” he rattled off with no sense of any compassion for the prisoner. “He resisted, which is the cause for his bruises and his weakness.”

“Let us in, we need to speak with him and privately,” Foggy declared, marvelling at Matt’s apparent self control at not trying to immediately break their client out. Tony nodded, the forcefield was dropped for long enough so they both could step inside. Tony and the scientist left with the promise that the camera did not record sound but would have to be left on for their safety.

“Mr Barton, we’re your lawyers. Clint sent us,” Foggy crouched down at the side of the bed in front of where Harry was staring. It was only at the mention of his husband’s name that there was a flicker of response from Harry. His irises moved slowly to take in Foggy and Matt. “He’s very worried about you and after seeing you so am I,” Foggy continued to try and bring Harry out of whatever state of unresponsiveness he was in. “We want to help you but we need to know what the problem is,” Harry’s hand moved slowly with the cuffs tying them together closely, he weakly dragged Foggy closer to him.

“The cuh,” Harry began before coughs ravaged his body, “cuffs, my core.”

“The scientist explained, they cut off your connection to your magic,” Foggy frowned, bracing himself on the table to get as close to Harry as possible.

“Need, it, my magic saves,” every word was sending another wave of pain through Harry’s chest. Matt could hear everything even though he was stood near the thrumming barrier and he made the connection before Foggy could.

“Your magic is your life force, by cutting you off from accessing it your body is shutting down,” Matt sighed and Harry’s head tilted slightly before his eyes flickered shut. “Do you know how long you have?” Matt asked, his training shutting down all unnecessary emotions until he could rage in peace. Foggy knew that expression and wished he could do the same.

“I,” another deep hitching breath, “how long?”

“Nearly a month since you were arrested.”

“If I’m calm, maybe another. Maybe a week,” Harry winced as he tried to move but to no avail.

“We will fix this,” Foggy promised, squeezing Harry’s hand softly and he could only summon the power to flex his fingers in a weak imitation of a squeeze.

“I know this sounds counterproductive but is there any other non-magical way of containing you. Our first thought is keeping you alive,” Matt was the pragmatist in their relationship.

“I, I don’t. Ask Mistr Wesley, anti-aprition,” Harry was fading and his grip on Foggy loosened. It was time for them to leave, they would be able to get nothing else out of Harry in this state. Foggy called for the forcefield to be lifted and the duo hesitantly left the quivering form on the bed. He could only have a week.

“You are killing him. Not being able to access his core is a death sentence,” Matt hissed as Tony escorted them back to the quinjet.

“There is no other way of holding him and for all we know this is a ploy to slacken the defences. You have not seen what he can do with or without his wand. He nearly killed me with non-warded cuffs and no access to his stick,” Tony argued but Foggy was good at reading people, and he could see that Tony wasn’t even convincing himself with the excuses. If they could find a safe way to hold the wizard then he would leap on it. And then with the secrecy surrounding this place, their best bet to get him out was using his diplomatic status. Foggy had an idea.

Clint punched a wall. He wasn’t proud of his reaction and he certainly wouldn’t advise anyone else thinking of doing it, but he punched a wall. “They’re killing him,” Clint panted, having already cried all the tears he had in him when the two shaken lawyers had arrived at the house and described Harry’s condition.

“He said he had between a week and a month before his body shut down completely,” Matt explained and Clint stopped himself from kicking the wall this time.

“I have a plan to get him out of there but it may take longer than that. However he suggested that someone called Mr Wesley could help?” Foggy shrugged.

“Wesley, could he have been trying to say Weasley?” Clint asked and both lawyers shrugged again. It was worth a try. Throwing a handful of the green powder into the fireplace, statute be damned, “the Burrow,” Clint shouted and stuck his head into the fire despite the shocked cries from both lawyers.

“Clint dear?” Molly was stood in the kitchen preparing some sort of soup and shocked by her basically son in law’s rapid appearance.

“Is Arthur in? I really need his help urgently, it’s for Harry,” Clint asked and Molly dropped everything she was doing.

“He’s at the ministry. I’ll call him home and send him through,” no more details needed. Clint had been keeping them updated on the situation in the states. It was the worst in America but the hunt was even on in Britain. The government was acting blind to the ministry of magic hiding in London as long as they did hide. The wizarding war was so recent and so some debt seemed to be owed to Harry and those who fought to save the lives of muggles who were being targeted. Those in the know were staying quiet. As long as the statute was maintained, the government pleaded ignorance. MACUSA were having to work a lot harder to stay out of sight and safe. The location of wizarding populace in the states was one of the things Tony was hoping to get out of Clint or Harry. Clint popped his head back out of the fire to the bemused stares of Nelson and Murdock Attorneys at Law.

“It’s,” Clint started to explain but was waved off by Matt.

“No time, we’re just rolling with it all at this point,” he sighed and Clint smiled softly. He had stumbled open some great lawyers in all this.

“My plan, while we wait for whoever is coming through your fire. Harry is still a British citizen, right?” Foggy asked and Clint nodded. “Within the wording of the accords, it states that any powered individual is required to be registered only within their country of occupation. And then it is that countries responsibility to detain and motivate their citizens who will not sign. If Harry still has properties and business affairs within the UK, they can demand that they have more of a right to his arrest and detainment than the US does,” Foggy explained and Clint felt some form of hope in all of this for the first time.

“And the British government would have knighted Harry if not for the statute of secrecy. If he gets transported back home then he will have to hide in the magical world but he will be free,” Clint grinned. They had a plan and then they could regroup with the kids and the magical lawyers to fight the accords. Well Clint was still not allowed to leave the country but they would work something out.

“Exactly, from there we can continue to work to have the accords repealed and restore everyone’s freedom,” Matt finished and high fived Foggy. This duo was strange but Clint appreciated their optimism and positivity in the time of hardship.

Arthur popped out of the fire, Foggy dealt with it remarkably well considering his very limited introduction to the magical world. Clint got the feeling Matt had experienced weirder things in his time. “Clint dear, what can I do for you? What’s the news?” Molly had sent him through with a platter of food and his tinkering kit, that woman was a miracle worker.

“Harry has been imprisoned,” Clint began but Arthur just nodded.

“Molly’s clock still has the prison option, we hoped it would be swiftly resolved but I assume that is not the case,” Arthur sighed, placing the pasta bake on the table.

“The muggle prison holding him has developed a way to bind his powers to stop him accessing his core,” Clint explained, and by the colour which drained out of Arthur’s face the ramifications of this were not lost on the wizard.

“We were hoping that you might be able to invent a muggle and magical device that would act as an anti-aprition device,” Foggy attempted, correctly using muggle but was corrected on anti-apparition.

“To save Harry, I’ll see what I can do,” Arthur nodded and headed back through the fire to get to work immediately.

They left Clint alone in the big house to stew in his thoughts. He could remember Harry, Teddy, Wanda, and Pietro filling this place with noise only half a year earlier. They had sent Wanda and Pietro to hide safely at Hogwarts, protected with Teddy under the watchful eye of the professors who would do anything to help the effort. He hadn’t heard from them since it all began but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. Harry would go their too, Hogwarts was the best warded place in the world. Even though Tony had been he had no way of finding the castle or even if he did there was no way the sentient building would let him through to harm her residents. They just needed Arthur to pull through to give them more time. They just needed time.

** _One month and one week since Harry’s arrest_ **

Foggy and Matt were lawyers to recon with. Clint had seen how they effortlessly legal-esed into places he was sure they were not supposed to be. The first of them, Avengers Penthouse to interrupt Tony and Rhodey’s breakfast. “Mr Stark, good morning,” Foggy announced their entrance with far too much glee.

“Nelson, Murdock, Barton,” Tony sighed, spinning on the stool to face the motley trio. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

“We bring you an alternate option to Harry Barton’s current barbaric detainment conditions. This was developed in conjunction with the magical government as a portable anti-apparition ward. A safer and more humane way of detaining wizards which will not kill them,” Matt explained as Foggy passed the box to Tony. Arthur had spent days working on the device with Hermione, Bill and the best technomages Arthur’s department had. All it had to do was be plugged into the security system then the building would not allow anyone to apparate into or out of the building.

“And why should I believe you? This could be something to help Harry escape from us,” Tony had a valid point, and they were wary of this.

“Tony, I just want my husband to survive. I would not risk whatever you could do to stop him if we did break him out in that way. Harry is living on borrowed time, you have to see how he is fading. If you want anything out of him then we have the same priorities here,” Clint was not above begging for Harry’s life. Tony faltered, he seemed to still have some of the lingering feelings of friendship and comradery for Harry.

“I don’t want him dead but it is my head on the block if he escapes. Ross is peacocking at the capture of one of the leaders of the rebellion,” Tony explained, but he took the box from Matt’s hand. “I’ll do it. You better not make me regret this,” Tony did seem remorseful but Clint would never forgive the man for what he had done.

“You won’t Mr Stark, you’ll regret the accords but you will not regret this,” Nelson and Murdock left in the same dramatic fashion they arrived; Clint was just along for the ride.

** _Two months since Harry’s arrest_ **

Harry came to with a start. He had fallen into blissful unconsciousness not too long after the lawyers had left; even that short stunted conversation took all he had out of him. Harry could however move again, his hands were unbound and his extremities twitched when he asked it off them. His eyes took a bit more opening but even they creaked open. That was when it got weird. He could see the stars. The space above him was a dark void with a spattering of bright lights. Slowly sitting up, Harry was able to take in more of his surroundings. The floor beneath him was hard but smooth and seemed to radiate with light. “I’m sorry to stir you but we needed to speak,” a melodic voice trickled through the eerie silence. Harry could see dark boots next to his head but his eyes were still not responding to commands to move. His core was depleted but even in this unknown location it was not healing, it was in some stasis. The figure squatted leaving him face to face with a teenage girl with long wavy hair as dark as the depths of space above them.

“Your warriors in arms have created a way to preserve you and you will wake in your cage soon. However you walk the line between the alive and the dead, it is enough for me to speak with you without the hallows,” she continued, Harry knew this should mean something to him but his head couldn’t keep up. “You must know, there is one coming who threatens all you hold dear. The one who has been causing the disturbances you have been feeling,” he had been feeling disturbances within the fabric of the universe through the soul stone ever since Loki’s failed invasion. The hallows, the threat behind Loki, his brain kickstarted.

“Hela,” he sighed breathlessly and smiled at the shimmering grin he received in reply.

“There you are master. I was worried you would join us too soon,” Hela helped him into a more comfortable position. He was on the rainbow bridge outside Asgard.

“Your warning? Any advice,” Harry managed to choke out through the tightness in his chest as they moved.

“Keep the hallows close when you are once again freed. The battle to come will need all of the heroes of Midgard to come together again under the same banner. Be wary but trust those who come to your aid,” she warned before the world around them became to tremble. “You need to return, I only had so much power to take your consciousness here. Your loyalist warriors will aid you, believe in them.”

Harry came to again but this time in agonising pain. He was still in his cell but the cuffs had been clicked off his wrists. “If you can here me you magical welp, I only agreed to this because you are too weak to fight back. And if you try I will not hesitate to put you down,” Harry could not open his eyes but felt the cuffs peel away from the shredded skin under them. Hela was right, Clint had come through somehow and saved him. Something soft, hopefully a change of clothes after he sweated through the others, thumped down next to his head and the hum of the electric field returned. Harry was weak; he still couldn’t move but something stirred deep within his core. He was alive.


End file.
